Player steps out of bound and then recovers fumble

[Funksonline]

The offense is backed up at the 2 yard line just outside their endzone. During the play they fumble in their endzone and ball rolls towards the back of endzone. The defender steps on back line of endzone and then is the first person to recover the ball. What is the correct call?

[scrounge]

Is the defender still out of bounds? If so, then I'd say safety since the ball is now dead in the EZ being touched by an out-of-bounds player and the force putting the ball in the EZ was his fumble. If not out of bounds, then (assuming no one pushed him out), illegal participation on the defense. A will accept the penalty rather than take the play (otherwise a TD), with enforcement being the 2 yd line since it was a loose ball play.

It's tricky, though...does stepping out constitute "intentionally"? Some of the case plays for 9.6.1 talk about accidentally stepping out (though in reference to A), implying that inadvertently stepping out isn't the same thing. But the 9.6.2 cases are more in line with the strict definition - if you weren't pushed out, then you stepped on your own and that's intentionally. Not nearly as sure on this 2nd part than the 1st.

[Curious]

B (the defender) is allowed to UNINTENTIONALLY step out of bounds and return (without committing a foul); but when he touched the loose ball in the EZ while he out of bounds, he caused the ball to become dead.

Touching precedes possession - and the touching cause the ball to become dead; so the result of the play cannot be a TD for B.

However, the force that caused the ball to enter A's EZ, where it became dead, was A's fumble, the result would be a safety.

 

[ChicagoZebra]

9-6-2 requires a non-A/K player "intentionally" goes out of bounds and returns to have a flag for illegal participation.

I have not personally had an in depth discussion on this rule (as opposed to 9-6-1), but, IMO, the intent would require something greater than stepping on the back line while moving towards recovering the ball. I would need to see something egregious to throw a flag in this instance - and I'm not even sure what egregious could be (maybe running 5 yards out of bounds and returning?).

Also, I think we are in line here, but to be clear, the defender is no longer out of bounds the second he is not touching the end line. There is no requirement to "re-establish".

[bama_stripes]

The offense is backed up at the 2 yard line just outside their endzone. During the play they fumble in their endzone and ball rolls towards the back of endzone. The defender steps on back line of endzone and then is the first person to recover the ball. What is the correct call?

If he's still touching the end line when he touches the ball, it's a safety.  If he's inbounds and no longer touching the end line, it's a TD.

[Rulesman]

If he's still touching the end line when he touches the ball, it's a safety.  If he's inbounds and no longer touching the end line, it's a TD.

Are you sure about the safety?

[bama_stripes]

Well, my thinking was that A put the ball into their own EZ, and it became dead when it touched (or was touched by) B who was touching the end line.

[FLAHL]

Well, my thinking was that A put the ball into their own EZ, and it became dead when it touched (or was touched by) B who was touching the end line.

That's what I would have said.  Same result as if the ball had gone through the EZ with nobody touching it, right?

[Rulesman]

The OP doesn't say B was OOB when he touched the ball.

[bama_stripes]

The OP doesn't say B was OOB when he touched the ball.

Exactly -- it doesn't say where B was.  That's why I gave two answers:  Safety if B was touching OOB, TD if he wasn't.

[Ralph Damren]

IMHO, we should consider B unknowingly hitting the sidelines as unintentional. Consider this :

     Big ole' Bubba, a DE, dives in trying to tackle Scooter, the HB, near the sidelines. Bubba misses Scooter and slides with one of his paws touching the sidelines. Bubba regains his footing and catches Scooter from behind, who had slowed down to wave to the prom queen.  YOU MAKE THE CALL:

  (1) Flag Bubba for IP = add 15 to end of run;

  (2) Flag Bubba for IP + award under 9-10-1;

  (3) Do nothing, and tell Bubba that the prom queen just swooned .

  (4) Do nothing.

What say you....

 

[PABJNR]

4, I'm not telling Bubba the prom queen swooned because scooter was the one to wave. Restriction is A or K prior to change of possession and/ or intentionally going out of bounds, I don't believe a paw out is intentional.


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